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How do you listen to your music in Gen. 4?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by gvp1995, Aug 25, 2016.

  1. gvp1995

    gvp1995 Active Member

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    In Gen 2 I had 6 disk changer. It could play MP3 CDs. It was very convenient - I would put one genre on each CD, and a lot of MP3s one could cram on 800 Mb disk. So a week after I bought my Three Touring I started to look how to do it here. First test - can it play MP3 DVDs? In this case I could store 4GB on one disk. No luck! Does not recognize DVD. OK, the next thing - to try external USB drive. I have a small size 16 GB drive, put almost all my music there. It was processed very quickly by Prius, but I have a problem again. The player cannot play just by folder, it creates play lists with artist, genre, etc., which in my case is completely useless since I collected my music for some 30 or 40 years. In one folder it could be a song ripped from a CD that I created myself long ago from a tape recorder, as well as some recent files with metadata... Plus another language is involved. So what I see on the screen is gibberish which cannot be used. The only option that works is to play my music from the phone over the Bluetooth. This works well despite the fact that I have non-compatible phone (a Windows Phone). But this is very different from just pressing one button while driving. Maybe I am missing other options? Just starting to learn the new car
     
  2. hb1148

    hb1148 Junior Member

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    I listen to FM stations which sound pretty acceptable over HD but for recorded material, I listen to the songs via bluetooth on my Galaxy. If you want to hit just one button and play, you can set up the playback to be random and just start it by listing the songs by song title and just picking one.
     
    #2 hb1148, Aug 25, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2016
  3. Sooner Al

    Sooner Al Active Member

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    HD FM radio only...

    No XM radio or iPhone audio.
     
    Fanatic likes this.
  4. MichelleStone

    MichelleStone Senior Member

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    I tried using my phone but my 32GB iPod lets me sort by playlist, composer, genre, artist, and album. I can fit some of my music collection on the iPod so that's okay for now. I may get an iPod with more memory down the road and use it exclusively for the car.
     
  5. Fanatic

    Fanatic Junior Member

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    I listen to HD FM, however I've been pretty hooked to the 90 day XM trial, haha...

    ... I won't subscribe to it since it's still not a must have for me though.
     
  6. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Cds & rewriteable CDs for music, MP3s on USB stick for spoken podcasts.
     
  7. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    USB stick for everything. You can buy very small USB sticks, so when you plug them there is virtually nothing sticking out. And they are very cheap, and much easier to 'record' to than a CD or DVD
     
  8. gvp1995

    gvp1995 Active Member

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    I just discovered I can control tracks played on my phone through Prius steering wheel controls. Due to this fact I will probably stick to my phone via Bluetooth. It has all the music I have nicely arranged by folders, and I can play each folder at a time. The same is true about podcasts.
     
  9. 'LectroFuel

    'LectroFuel Senior Member

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    USB stick, 64GB+. I use and recommend this one. You can't see it because it doesn't stick out of the console.

     
  10. c-man

    c-man ordered my c

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    I'll be using the USB, I think. But I'm surprised how good the sound quality is with BT Audio. Actually the audio system itself is better than I was expecting.
     
    Rpowers47 likes this.
  11. azariastromsis

    azariastromsis Junior Member

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    I recently bought a new iPod, but my old one still works, so I'l probably just going to keep my old one in my car because it has all of my music and my playlists (all 100+ of them...) with the USB. I prefer both the USB/aux sound quality (BT was good, but I thought the other two were better). I have aux cords as well, but the only bad thing is that album art isn't displayed, and it bugs me to not have it when I've spent so long getting all my album art sorted.
     
  12. IAPrius

    IAPrius Active Member

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    You people don't like to use your smartphone? Bluetooth audio from my iPhone is so easy. I listen to podcasts and music.

    Also am a big XM fan.
     
    Rpowers47 likes this.
  13. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    I can leave the house without my smartphone - and survive!
     
  14. felixthekat

    felixthekat Junior Member

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    Wow. To me this thread really illustrates the generational differences. I only stream music via Spotify from my phone, either USB or Bluetooth. I've stopped using physical media since the rise of the smartphone.

    With a smartphone and a streaming service like Spotify, the world's music is at your fingertips. Not in the mood for the current song you're listening to? Change over to a completely different playlist on the fly. The choices are "relatively" limitless.
     
    benlovesgoddess likes this.
  15. ssdesigner

    ssdesigner Active Member

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    Put a FLAC file on a
    USB drive and you'll change your mind in an instant.

    The options are many. Every system is a bit different.
     
  16. felixthekat

    felixthekat Junior Member

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    Certainly true. Audio quality may not match a FLAC audio file. It's certainly about compromises. I prefer a larger library and the convenience of a streaming service.

    To each to their own :)
     
  17. Lucifer

    Lucifer Senior Member

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    Pandora, when it doesn't play, the phone has 6 gigs of my music, via Bluetooth, love the charger.
     
  18. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Bluetooth Audio. It's convenient (no wires, no need to take the phone/music player). My Gen 3 had no USB port so I exclusive use BT Audio. (It was a Cdn$200+ option). I tried USB once on a longer trip because I noticed my phone is draining faster when streaming than it did when it was new (I could drive for 6 hours and lose 50% charge. Now I'll nearly drain the phone with 3-4 hours of driving). I noticed that plugging and unplugging the phone every time I get in/out of the car can occasionally trip the headunit. (by that, I mean it'll crash it).

    Any tips? Should I plug in the phone before starting the car? I would always unplug after I turn off the car. Should I unplug it beforehand?
     
  19. IAPrius

    IAPrius Active Member

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    I agree entirely. I don't buy songs first of all - they're through Apple Music. It's all right in my pocket when I want it whether its in the car or working out or walking around.
     
  20. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    Not sure how to understand that comment!

    I have been involved with evolving technologies since I started out as a COBOL/RPG programmer back in the 60's. But I can still walk down the street without ear pods and just enjoy the ambience, or watch an event without the need to film it, or eat a meal without needing to post a photo to all my friends.

    Maybe the generational difference is a good thing!
     
    Jim in NC and Coast Cruiser like this.